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LG launches gold and leather Urbane Luxe smartwatch for late October ship date

Elements in 23-carat gold and a stylized leather strap hike up the price on this premium Android wearable.

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Splurging on a smartwatch? This one comes with 23-karat gold.

 LG

If you subscribe to the smartwatch philosophy that dressier is better, LG's latest Android wearable, the LG Watch Urbane Luxe, looks far more like a high-end timepiece than it does a tech toy.

An alligator leather strap and 23-karat gold elements bump up the bragging rights and price -- the 500 limited-edition wearables will retail for around $1,200 come late October, which converts to about £780 and roughly AU$1,700.

Made in conjunction with US company Reeds Jewelers, functionality within the Luxe is all LG's. Like the original Watch Urbane , this flashier model has a fully round 1.3-inch OLED display and runs on Android Wear software.

While LG's Watch Urbane is one of the top Android Wear watches, it's about to get smacked with some seriously tough competition as rivals start releasing their own new or next-generation watches all in time for the holiday crush. At such a high price, this Luxe edition is without a doubt a novelty. Iy may not be enough to keep LG's brand at the top of consumers' minds when the time comes to buy.